Pallumi
by SaphiraCora
Summary: Because of the positive response to my fanfiction "A Night to Remember", my friend and I have decided to make a full series about Pallumi. There is a separate songfiction to go along with this called "Pallumi Songs". I really hope you enjoy this.
1. Chapter 1

**Note:** This fic will be updated on the last Monday of every month approximately

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**Chapter One**

The sun was just beginning to rise as a tall, dark haired man emerged out of the forest surrounding the nearby small town surrounding Kukuroo Mountain. Of course, there was nothing particularly special about this, as many people visited the area in order to take the tour. Of course, the real hope was to be able to catch a rare glimpse of the notorious assassin family, who are rumored to live at the very peak of the nearby Kukuroo Mountain. The town was just waking up, as men and women with bags under their eyes and coffee in their hands began to make their way to their various jobs. Others littered the clean sidewalks talking in groups and walking toward their destinations, casually chatting along the way.

Nobody paid much attention to the man with pale skin and dark hair as he walked through the town, stopping only to buy a small coffee at the local coffee shop. Perhaps the townspeople would have taken more interest in the man if they knew his real identity. But then again, how could they? It's not every day that one sees a Zoldyck strolling about town.

Illumi passed through the town quickly and walked alone near the trees and bramble. For someone such as him, the distance between the town and the mountain wouldn't take too long to cover. He sipped his coffee. If he made many expressions, he would have made a slightly disgusted face after doing so. Illumi was never one for coffee. The elder Zoldyck child quickly made his way toward home. After all, he had just had an utterly exhausting experience.

He thought back to the past few weeks, when he spent his time disguised as Gittarackur during the Hunter Exam. Illumi's primary reason for participating in the exam was to secure his Hunter license in order to complete a job. However, Illumi's presence in the exam served a dual purpose in also soothing his mother's nerves in regard to his younger brother Killua being independent against her will. He succeeded in sending his brother home, where he rightfully belongs, and obtaining the license. However, he faced minor consequences when Killua's friend Gon broke his arm in anger because of what he had done to Killua. In addition to all that grief, he had to deal with Hisoka, who is a full serving of trouble on his own.

But Illumi wasn't worried about that as he approached a barely visible path and turned to follow it. The path was hidden by bushes and the surrounding forest, and it would take a highly skilled human to even identify the area as a "path". Illumi walked amongst the trees, as the sunlight struggled past the leaves to reach the forest floor. He walked for a while in silence, heading to the place that felt more like home to him than the distant mansion where his family lived.

He turned the corner slowly, and saw his destination ahead of him. Before him lay a field of grass and flowers, blooming with the rising sun. The vast field expanded out from the edge of the forest. Illumi looked left and saw the lake, shimmering and blue, like always. Not far from the lake lay a slightly broken down cottage. It wasn't much, but the very sight of it made the corners of Illumi's mouth pull up into the smallest fraction of a smile. He couldn't resist. Memories from his childhood washed over him as he walked toward the cottage.

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A young boy with chin length, black hair looked up at his father, who was looming over him. Illumi, at the age of 8, had just returned from a mission that had not gone particularly well, and knew that he had to face the consequences. Silva looked down at his eldest son, with a slight hint of disappointment on his face.

"I have nothing to say." Silva stated calmly, staring down at Illumi, whose head was bent down toward the floor. "You know the job could have gone better. You have the scar to prove it." Silva stated firmly, looking at his son's pale chest. There was a large gash that was bleeding on the cold floor, making a puddle of deep red. "You know the punishment." Illumi looked up at his father with large, dark eyes that held no emotion. "Yes, father" he said quietly. The young boy did not even bother to hold his hand up to his chest to attempt to stop the bleeding.

Illumi followed his father down various dark hallways. All the curtains were always closed, letting no sunlight through into the mansion. After many turns, Silva finally opened a large, heavy door with his son in tow, still bleeding. The young boy spent numerous hours dangling in confinement. Though the majority of his time was spent passed out from blood loss as he hung, shackled. Though he was in serious agony, the boy knew to show no signs of distress or pain. Weakness was not tolerated in his family.

After his punishment, Illumi was stitched up by one of the servants. They seldom looked at each other during the process, and did not speak. Illumi hardly ever interacted with the butlers, and they reciprocated. As Illumi walked down the hall toward his room, he passed his mother. However, when Kikyou saw his wound, she did not inquire about it. She merely looked down at him and frowned slightly. Illumi could no longer take it. He took off running away from the mansion as fast as he could.

He ran off property, no servants questioning his destination. As soon as he was free, tears began to stream down the young boy's face. It was all too much. He always saw other children playing and having fun when he went out on missions. Their normality stuck him. The children had parents and siblings who loved them. Illumi had none of that. He had his father, who hardly spoke to him outside of training, and his mother, who showed no affection at all to her first born. The closest thing he had to a friend was his chubby younger brother, Milluki, who was only three years old. The toddler often threw tantrums when things didn't go his way and was too young to participate in intellectual conversations with his older brother. He often found himself imitating the normal children he saw on his mission, when he was sure confident that he wasn't being observed. Illumi often craved affection, but had nobody to give him what he desired.

Illumi was forced to snap out of his thoughts as he heard a vehicle approaching. He quickly darted into the nearby forest and stayed still, his heart racing wildly. He watched as a tour bus drove by, packed with tourists from all over the world. "We will be approaching the mansion soon!" He heard the tour guide say faintly.

Emotionally drained, Illumi abandoned his hiding place and leaned up against a tree. He brushed the hair off his face, where it was sticking to his wet cheeks. The boy sniffled and looked around him. With the observation skills of a Zoldyck child, he noticed a faint path leading into the woods. Curiously and cautiously, the young Zoldyck made his way through the trees, still sniffling.

After minutes of walking, Illumi had begun to think that the path led nowhere. However, his hopes spiked when he saw a sharp turn in the path. Illumi would often walk down this path in the following years, heading to the only true place of sanctuary he had in this world filled with despair- the cottage.

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Illumi took a deep breath as he neared his cottage. Though it was worn down from years of vacancy, Illumi had done what he could to make it look nicer. The cottage had a dark brown roof that Illumi had repaired upon finding numerous leaks. The outside was a cream color with brown mouldings around the door and windows. As Illumi got closer, however, he noticed that the door was cracked open ever so slightly.

Illumi paused mid-stride, and his dark eyes widened. If he were an average person, perhaps his heart rate would have picked up as well. However, he had been trained to be in control of most any situation. Illumi found himself slightly pissed off at the idea that another person had intruded in _his_ personal space. The cottage was a place for _him_ to be himself. The thought of someone else poking around in his place hit a nerve inside of him.

He quickly dismissed the idea that a member of his family could be inside. There's no way they would be careless enough to leave the door open, even slightly. This was most likely someone he didn't know. And he was confident that he could handle this with ease.

The eldest Zoldyck child approached the door of his safe haven. He could probably just walk in and kill whoever or whatever was inside. Illumi pushed open the door with ease, pins in his hands. Immediately he saw his victim. There was a woman in his home. All he could see was her long, black, tangled hair. She began to turn around, sensing someone in the doorway, as he prepared to strike. But just before Illumi was about to launch his pins into her head, he caught a glimpse of her face, and Illumi froze in place.

The dark haired Zoldyck lowered his arm and looked at her pale face, framed by tangled black hair. "Who are you?" Illumi asked, his face expressionless except for the slightest parting of his lips. "My name is Palm."

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**A/N:** Thanks for reading. Please remember to leave a comment, it's much appreciated. Also later chapters may not come out regularly because of schoolwork and such, so follow the story if you wish to be alerted of updates.


	2. Chapter 2

**Note:** I know that there was a really long hiatus, but we're back! This second chapter is shorter than the first, but it is easier for me to get back into things this way. I hope to update at least once a week, now that it's summer. I hope you are all still interested in reading this.

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**Chapter 2**

Illumi, blank faced, looked at the girl who stood before him. _Why didn't I just kill her on sight?_ He asked himself. She stood there, black curly hair framing her pale face, seemingly helpless. Illumi could tell that she is a nen user, but she had no visible weapons with which to defend herself.

Palm looked at the pins in his hand, which was still raised in the air, the yellow bulbs posed to attack. Although the man had no expression on his face, she knew better than to step forward and try her luck.

"Why are you here?" Illumi asked, with just a hint of curious annoyance in his droning voice. "You must be aware that this is private property."

"It looked abandoned," she responded carefully, eyeing all the cobwebs and dust in the cottage, "and I needed a place to rest." She studied his pale face carefully, checking for any signs of emotion. "Listen," she began defensively, " if it makes this situation any better, I just got here-"

"Turn around." Illumi commanded. Palm hesitated. "Now." He ordered. Slowly, Palm turned her body around so that she faced the nearest wall. Knowing that she would be searched, she began to walk toward the wall. Her steps were slow and deliberate. She knew that any sudden movements could set him off, and that in a fraction of a second she would have a pin in her brain.

Illumi approached her and checked for weapons. He removed 5 knives from her torn dress, and set them aside, out of her reach. He turned toward Palm and raised his hand up again, between each finger a pin. Palm was still against the wall, but sensed a change in the strange man. Without looking at the tall Zoldyck, she boldly, and stupidly, asked, "Why haven't you killed me yet?"

Illumi froze. Why _hadn't_ he killed her yet? This is Illumi Zoldyck, the emotionless assassin. Palm was, at best, some second-rate nen user from a garbage pile in the distance. The woman was disarmed and clearly obeying his orders. Why hadn't he taken out such an easy target?

Palm inched forward while Illumi was caught in his reverie. Gently, she raised her hand to bring his down. But the second her skin made contact with his, Illumi snapped out of his thoughts. Upon instinct he knocked her back into the wall with his trademark Zoldyck force. Upon impact, Palm's body crumbled the wall and she fell unconscious to the ground. Illumi was _not_ used to being touched. And he certainly wasn't going to let this random woman take advantage of him like that.

Illumi surveyed the damage he had caused and made a brief list in his head:

Broken wall (1)

Unconscious Palm (1)

Debris (many)

Potential Trouble Level (3)

Illumi did not particularly like this girl. She had broken into his safe place and had tried to touch him when he was (uncharacteristically) distracted by his thoughts. She _deserved_ to die. But when Illumi looked down at the limp woman he had thrown into the wall, he didn't exactly see a reason to kill her either.

_If my parents knew…_ Illumi thought as he walked to his closet and took out a broom and a dustpan.


	3. Chapter 3

**Note:** I do not own HxH. After waking up, Illumi questions Palm about why she is here, and also searches himself for some answers. Palm is beginning to regret breaking into this cottage, but is also intrigued by this strange, pale man.

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**Ch. 3**

When Palm woke up, the first thing she noticed was the agonizing pain that rippled through her entire being. Everything seemed to hurt. As she began to gain more consciousness, Palm also noticed that she was crumpled up in the same position that she had collapsed into after she hit the wall. Unsure of where the pale, skinny man was, she let out a small groan as her muscles twitched.

Illumi had known she was awake from the second her breathing changed. He had been sitting down nearby, contemplating his current situation while Palm was unconscious. His only reaction to her groan was to stare more intensely at her dirtied face as her eyes fluttered open. The world began to come into focus, and Palm painfully raised her upper body off the floor. This movement caused some unswept dust to disperse into the air. Illumi took notice, and made a mental note to sweep again after this woman was out of his hair.

He allowed her a few more moments to collect herself before he spoke. "Get up." He commanded. She definitely had to be sore after their… meeting, but that was not his concern. "Sit down." He said, gesturing slightly with his head to the open chair across from where he was sitting. Palm obeyed, raising her throbbing body from the floor. Various joints cracked as she stood up and made her way over to the chair. While her muscles were thankful to not be in one position, they were not too happy about being exerted either.

When she had finally seated herself Illumi began his questioning, his cold black eyes boring into her guarded fuschia ones. "How did you find this place?" He asked in his monotone voice. "W-well," she began cautiously, "I've been wandering around recently. I have nowhere in particular to be and-" "I didn't ask for your life story." Illumi interrupted. "How did you find this cottage?" He repeated sternly. Illumi really wasn't one for casual conversations in general, let alone with strange women who break into his house.

Palm stuck her lip out slightly in annoyance. She didn't think she was really that off topic. "If you want the short story, then I'll tell you what I said before." She said, articulating each word. "I was exhausted and saw what looked like a good shelter. I didn't see anyone around and it certainly doesn't _look_ like anybody lives here. So I decided to go inside. So here I am, about a hundred times more tired and achey than before this mess," she concluded.

Illumi stared at her for an uncomfortable period of time. He knew she was telling the truth. He had been trained to pick apart lies. He just found this human to be particularly annoying. "Did anyone follow you here?" He inquired further. He certainly did not need more trouble to deal with in addition to this one. Palm shook her head. "It is highly unlikely." She responded. "You know," she began, hesitantly, "just because you knocked me out in one shot doesn't mean I'm completely helpless, right? You just caught me when I was tired… and not looking to die" She added, eyeing his pins. Illumi stared blankly at Palm, unmoving.

Illumi was intrigued by her comment. She is clearly at a level of skill high enough to tell that messing with someone such as himself would result in death or severe pain. A small part of him was… satisfied that he was getting credit for being as strong as he is, without even having to display himself. This fact alone bothered Illumi. Why was he letting all these fragments of emotions be acknowledged? Sure his childhood home was a place for him to relax and think about whatever he was feeling, but this is a situation of peril. He should be Illumi Zoldyck, the assassin. Not whoever this was.

"What makes this place so important anyways?" She asked, in an attempt to break the odd silence. "It looks like nobody cares enough to clean it up. It seems like nobody lives here."

"It's none of your business", the assassin responded, shifting in his seat. In all honesty, it _had_ been a while since he had spent time here, with his missions and the hunter exam and all. Though he knew they shouldn't, the girl's comments irked him. Who was she, a dirty wanderer, to judge his personal space?

Palm took note of the shift in the strange man. "Well," she began, "since you're such a great conversationalist I'm going to go use your restroom and wash up. I think you owe me that at least," she said, touching her sore muscles. This sudden display of bold language caught them both off guard. Palm was tired and, frankly, quite cranky about this situation. Illumi covered his shock in the typical Zoldyck fashion. "I owe you nothing." Illumi replied sternly. "You broke into my house, you pay the consequences."

Palm got up awkwardly, but headed to the bathroom nonetheless. "I'm going to shower. I hope to survive long enough without a needle in me." she said as she walked away. Before she turned the corner she paused, and turned to the man sitting at the table, ever so slightly taken aback by her straightforwardness. "You never told me your name." she said.

Against his better judgement, the man responded. "My name is Illumi."

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**Note:** Reviews are much appreciated! I know this pairing isn't super popular or even known at all, so spread the word if you enjoy.


	4. Chapter 4

**Note:** I do not own HxH.

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**Ch. 4**

As soon as Palm Siberia turned the corner, an aura began radiating from her body. The black cloud of stress soon filled the bathroom and swallowed her being. She turned on the water. _He owes me, in the very least, this shower,_ she thought as she turned the faucet to a cold setting.

Palm locked the door, though that would definitely not stop Illumi from coming in. Somehow, she knew Illumi would not kill her. Yes, she has only just met the cold man, but she knew that he would have taken her out already if he wanted to. As she began to disrobe, she felt his presence outside the door. She neatly folded her dress and spoke through the door. "Yes?" she called out. There was a brief pause. From the other side of the door, Illumi spoke. "There is no need for that strong of an aura. Turn it off, or I will take you out." He stated.

Palm stepped into the coldness of the shower, and her black aura faded slightly. "It's caused mostly by stress. If you want it to go away, I just need some space. I'm not going to do anything funny in here. And… even if I did," she continued, "it wouldn't take much for you to stop me." Illumi considered this. Of course he knew that he could just end this by killing her at any moment.

He walked away from the door and walked over to his bedroom down the short hall. He closed the door and sat down on his bed. _She's quite a bold woman_, he thought. _I don't know many people who would talk that way to a Zoldyck, especially when I have a clear and absolute advantage over her._ Illumi pushed his straight black hair out of his face and sighed, displeased with himself. As much as the cold assassin hated to admit it, he didn't dislike Palm. Of course, she's very strange in her ways and bold in her words. But many people took one look at him and immediately shut down, defensive and afraid. _As they should…_ he thought with a slight smirk.

Illumi stretched out over his bed. It had been a long few months for him. Between his missions and the hunter exam, he had had no time to himself. Although Palm was a surprise at his cottage, it was still nice to be back here. Suddenly, Illumi felt drowsiness wash over him. Despite this feeling, he was not comfortable enough to drift off with a stranger in his house. He would not show that kind of weakness.

Illumi froze. The sudden lack of noise hit him, and he realized the the water had stopped running already. The black haired assassin got up and opened the door. Had he really been so deep in thought that he had let her slip away, unnoticed? Illumi could not sense her nen in his home. She must have turned it off. Illumi turned the corner and found Palm in his kitchen. Making tea.

Palm turned toward Illumi. Her hair was still soaked, dripping all over his floor. It was no longer a dark black, but a dark brown. Her dress was soaking under all her hair. The tea kettle let out a shriek and she poured the hot water into two mugs. "We've both had a long day," she began, offering Illumi a mug. "I thought this would help."

Illumi, for the first time in his life, was completely taken aback by the scene before him. He had killed thousands. He has witnessed the most gruesome of scenes. But _this_? This was weird. Palm smiled her wide smile and began pouring heaps of sugar into her own mug. "It's right here if you want it," she said, leaving his mug on the counter. Palm slipped past him and sat at the table, wildly slurping her tea. Some of it dripped down her chin and onto her dress.

Illumi put his hand up to his head and rubbed it gently. This woman was giving him one hell of a headache. Palm looked over at him and smiled. Illumi frowned, but gave up. He sat down at the table across from the dripping woman and sighed. _What's getting into me?_ Illumi wondered, tilting his head back and running his fingers through his hair. He looked at Palm. When their eyes met, Palm tried to hold his icy gaze, but looked away, a slight pink coloring her pale cheeks.

Illumi's phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out and picked up the call. Palm heard a faint voice from the phone but could not make out what the person was saying. After a minute Illumi responded, "I'm on it," and hung up. "You've managed to keep me from killing you." Illumi spoke suddenly, catching them both by surprise. "Since you are one of the few people who can manage such a feat, I suppose you deserve to rest here." The dark haired Zoldyck stood up and left the cottage, leaving Palm to her own devices.

As Illumi left the cottage, he couldn't help but to look back. _You know what?_ He thought to himself, _Whatever happens, happens._ This thought surprised the young man. He has been controlled and controlling people his entire life. This one thing is out of his control. It was a weird feeling, leaving fate to decide what will happen. But it was oddly _freeing_ to Illumi. The same thing that causes him pleasure simultaneously drives him up the wall with a mixture of anxiety and worry. Uncharacteristically. Illumi walked away from the situation and toward the town.

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**Note:** If you enjoy, please review and follow the story!


	5. Chapter 5

**Note:** I do not own HxH

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After his mission, Illumi Zoldyck did not return to the mansion, as he normally would. Instead, he purposefully made his way through the small town at the base of Kukuroo Mountain and headed down the barely visible forest path toward the cottage. After three days of being away, Illumi wondered whether the strange woman would still be inhabiting his home. Although he was unsure of how he felt about this entire situation, he did not care enough to find out.

About a minute's walk from the cottage, the assassin felt her presence. _So she's decided to stay_, he thought. Something felt off to Illumi. Her aura. Black tendrils were faintly radiating from the small cottage. Illumi prepared himself for the worst.

Illumi opened the door to find Palm sitting down at the table. Her tangled black hair framed her entire body as the black tendrils curled around her. Her once wide fuchsia eyes were now tight around her black pupils. "Hello, Illumi." She said in her deep voice. Any other human would have found this welcome creepy. Illumi moved his eyes away from Palm and was shocked at how absolutely dirty the cottage was. The kitchen was a disaster, with leftover food laying out and none of the plates washed. There was a fine layer of soot over every surface, and pillows and blankets were astray throughout the room. Furniture was out of place, and even upside down.

Illumi's eyes narrowed and his small mouth formed a frown as he surveyed the damage. He made a mental list of what he witnessed.

Unwashed dishes (20)

Upturned furniture (5)  
Layers of soot (fine)

Annoying and in-trouble guest (1)

Angry Illumi (1)

"What. Happened." Illumi demanded in a low voice, taking a step further into the cottage. Palm's aura expanded further and deepened in blackness. She looked into Illumi's eyes, able to hold his gaze. "It got messier the longer I stayed. And the worse the mess, the more I stressed about how I would clean it up. And I wondered when you would come back." She stated, her voice dripping with something Illumi found very familiar. Murderous intent. Illumi moved a few pins into his hand and walked farther inside.

"I haven't…" Palm began, gazing into the distance, "I haven't killed in so long" her voice trailed off. Suddenly, both dark haired killers turned the the doorway, where a young man stood. He had clearly followed Illumi here, perhaps after seeing him so often. The young man, realizing his mistake, turned pale and turned around to leave. But before he could take even a step, Palm had leaped out of her seat and slaughtered the man with one of her knives, stabbing him in the throat. The unfortunate youth gurgled before falling in a pool of his own blood, dead.


	6. Chapter 6

**Ch. 6**

Both dark haired killers looked at the lifeless man who lay bleeding at the entrance of the cottage. Illumi's face, per usual, showed no signs of shock at what had just happened. However, as Palm studied the assassin more closely, she noticed that the muscles in his arm were twitching ever so slightly. "Uh oh", she thought, taking a step back. Illumi turned toward the girl, blinking slowly. Although Illumi's facial expression was one of disinterest, Palm could see the rage in his eyes.

"I allow you- no. I make the _mistake_ of allowing you to stay in my private cottage temporarily, and I come home to _this?_" The young assassin spoke in a low tone, expressing each syllable of each word with pinpoint accuracy. "What the hell is wrong with you? An animal could have kept this place in better condition than you have." His voice executed each word like a flash of lightning. He stepped toward Palm. "Dispose of this body," Illumi commanded, staring intensely at the girl. She looked up and dared to meet his gaze. "Now." He finished.

Palm rushed over to the dead man to complete her task. She whisked the body out of the way, her long hair rippling behind her in an effort to keep up with the rest of her. When the door closed, and he heard her retreating, Illumi leaned up against the wall, closed his eyes, and sighed. His thin lips formed a slight frown as he rubbed his aching temples with his fingers. "At least I have a little time before she returns," he thought as he made his way into the bedroom. The young assassin laid down on the bed and stared at the ceiling above. His eyes traced the cracks in the paint, blinking slowly as he unknowingly drifted off into a deep sleep.

* * *

Illumi found himself surrounded by a thick mist. He could not find his bearings, no matter how hard he tried to sense the unseen world around him. His eyes darted around as he realized that he could not move anything else. At the peak of this panic, the mist began to lessen as he found himself in a familiar place- his old playroom. A large figure appeared where the doorway should have been. The muscular man with long, silver hair, directed his words at the ground, "Illumi," he called, his voice reverberating off the walls. "you have served me well as firstborn. But the silver haired one has arrived." Illumi tried to call out, but found that he had no voice. "You have pleased me thus far, my son," the figure continued, "but the little one shall receive the fruits of your labor. Now, would you like to meet your baby brother?"

The figure turned around and took a bundle from a pair of gloved hands. He turned back, the bundle's shadowy face just out of view. "This is the heir of the Zoldyck family," The wallpaper began to slowly peel off the walls. The room was wilting like a flower. "Killua." The name echoed in Illumi's ears, growing louder and louder until he thought his head was going to bust open. The room grew dark and his vision faded to black.

* * *

Illumi snapped out of his sleep in a cold sweat. He forced his eyes open as wide as they possibly could, although it felt like each eyelid had weights attached to it. Through the sheer curtain, he could see the light of dawn pour into the room as the smell of breakfast registered in his mind. _What was that all about_, he thought. Gradually, Illumi closed his eyes and turned over onto his side, pulling the blankets up to his chin. He nestled into his heat burrito. _Breakfast…_ he thought, smiling gently into his pillow. _Wait… breakfast?!_ Illumi's eyes shot open and jumped to his feet, swiftly rushing out of the bedroom.

Before his very own eyes, Illumi Zoldyck witnessed a cleaner Palm Siberia standing in the middle of his kitchen, cooking eggs and bacon. "Goodmorning, Illumi", she smiled at him. "Nice to see that you're alive". She flipped the breakfast food onto two plates and set them down on the table, all while Illumi absorbed everything that was happening. His cottage was spotless, and Palm had cooked for him. And he had also been stupid enough to sleep while a strange woman was in his house. _How could I let my guard down like that?_ He thought. Though try as he may, Illumi could not bring himself to be angry. After all, nothing awful had come of his sudden weakness.

Illumi sat down across from Palm as she poured salt onto her eggs. The salt piled on the surface. Illumi picked up his fork and took a bite out of his own eggs, which she had _clearly_ already salted. He worked through the slight unpleasant taste of her overzealous seasoning and ate silently as he listened to Palm going on about how well she had scrubbed down every inch of this place, as well as herself. She discussed almost every detail that occurred during his unconscious hours. Almost every detail.

She of course, kept to herself the fact that she had put a few blankets over the assassin's sleeping body, as he had fallen asleep on top of his quilts. She kept to herself the feeling of her hand brushing against his pale skin as she covered him, and also as she made sure his blackened heart was beating under his clothing. His heartbeat had been unnaturally slow against her palm, and his clothing surprisingly soft.

As Illumi sipped his, as usual, black coffee, he found himself feeling oddly at ease. He leaned back into his chair, abandoning his typical straight-as-an-arrow posture, and took a deep breath.


	7. Chapter 7

**Ch. 7**

Once Palm had calmed down from talking, and they had both finished their breakfasts, Illumi realized that he had forgotten to ask one question that should have held much more importance to him before. "So," he started casually, washing the dishes in the sink, "how long, exactly, was I asleep for?" Palm turned to him and responded, "about two days." The collected assassin furrowed his brow. That was much longer than he had anticipated. As quickly as assassinly possible, which mind you is pretty damn quick, Illumi finished cleaning up and began collecting his few belongings. "Thank you for the breakfast, but I really have to go," he said, rushing out the door. Before Palm even had time to react, the spindly man had left his cottage in the dust as he headed back to the Zoldyck mansion.

_Well, that was certainly fast_, Palm thought to herself as she entered the bedroom. _He also never said I couldn't stay here a while longer…_ She gently laid down in the space next to where he had been sleeping. She herself had not slept much while Illumi was sleeping. There had been so much cleaning to do. The young woman slowly drifted off to sleep after the madness that had been the past two days. And as she did, she stretched out her arm, her hand landing where Illumi had been only hours ago.

Illumi approached the mansion, and as he did he noticed that Killua's pesky "friends" had left. _They probably gave up,_ the assassin thought to himself as he pushed through more gates than they could ever dream of. He greeted the guard dog, Mike, at the door. He gave him a few pats, and began walking up the hill. But something was bothering him. With every step, he could feel a tension growing stronger. The eldest Zoldyck boy was certain he was going to walk into some kind of shitstorm when he entered the mansion.

As he walked in, he knew immediately that he was wanted in his father's room. He navigated down the cold, empty hallways. The servants all seemed particularly on edge. As he passed Milluki's room, the aforementioned demon popped his head out. "Finally back, Illumi." He stated with a smirk on his face. "Good luck," he said, half sarcastically, returning to his lair. Illumi stared pointedly at the door for a full minute after it had closed. _Since when does Milluki think he has any power over me?_ He thought, annoyed. He continued his journey down the twisted halls until he reached his destination at last. He knocked, and from deep within, a manly voice beckoned, "Illumi".

He pushed open the door and found both his parents awaiting him. He sat before them, as was custom, and waited for them to speak. "Illumi," Silva began, "I assume that you are unaware of the current circumstances."

"That's correct." Illumi responded, his face as blank as ever. "While you were off... doing what, may I ask?" Silva asked. While the surface of Illumi remained calm, his mind was suddenly jammed. How could he not expect his father to ask him this question? Why hadn't he thought of an answer? Why was he even worrying about this? He was raised a liar.

All of this passed through his mind in less than a second. He gathered his bearings and quickly responded, "I have been taking care of personal matters elsewhere". Both of his parents studied him, looking for any break in his flawless mask. "Well," Silva continued, "while you were taking care of your 'personal business', your brother's friends managed to get inside the gates." Silva paused for emphasis. Illumi showed nothing. "And while they were in here-" "THEY TOOK MY BABY AWAY!" Kikyou interrupted frantically, leaning forward in her chair. "How could you not be here?!" She weeped.

Frankly, Illumi could not believe that this had happened. Killua had run away. Their _beloved heir_ had run away from his family responsibilities, as though _nobody_ had seen that coming…

"I just wish you were here when this happened, Illumi" Silva finished, staring at his eldest son. "Yes, father." Illumi responded. "I understand."

"Then you are dismissed." Silva stated, and Illumi promptly left. He closed the door behind him and walked to his room. Upon entry, he closed the door and went into his bathroom, closing the door again, and locking it. He began to fill his tub with ice cold water and subconsciously bit his lip and furrowed his brow. This was a habit he had had since childhood. It rarely appeared on his normally blank face.

_My parents knew there was something fishy about my answer_, Illumi thought as he removed his clothing and slipped into the frigid water. He had lied so solidly, so normally. But he had a feeling in his gut that his parents suspected something. Perhaps his extended absence had been the foundation of their suspicions. _But there's nothing I can do about it now,_ he thought as he sunk lower into his bath.

But for some reason, the frigid water just didn't seem right. It just didn't make him feel the way it used to. He sat there, contemplating for a few hours until he got out, dissatisfied with the water. He put on his bathrobe and exited his bathroom, leaving the cold water to drain.


End file.
